Effective Collisons
by jordanstr8
Summary: Zuko, Katara, and the gAang head out to the Center of the World and face the Fire Nation once again. Second story in my Chemistry Series. ZxK


If you haven't read _Catalyst _before this, I advice you go do so. Anyways, I hope you enjoy! :D

(BTW– Yes, the Catalyst in the last story was the lightning-bending. It brought them closer, see? You'll find that in this part there won't be as much tension.)

–

**Effective collisons: **Collision between two molecules resulting in a reaction.

Shadows flitted across the stone fortress like dancers, whipping and weaving to the music of the harsh, chilly winds. Four black-clad figures were pressed against the unforgiving walls, communicating with only the slightest hand gesture or blink of the eye. They slouched along the top balcony, hidden from the view of passerby.

A few dozen guards, oblivious to the criminals lurking above them, paced on the ground below. In the still darkness of the night, only coughing, a few pieces of conversation, and the ghosts of laughter could be heard.

Looking at each other for consent to move on, the figures dropped from their lookout on the roof, landing almost silently in the grass below. The six guards patrolling the back entrance looked in the intruders' direction, running towards the direction of the disturbance. "Get backup over here now!" the general instructed. Two of his men ran off in the opposite direction, calling out for additional help.

A black figure fell from the sky, and a muscled pair of hands gripped the general's neck.

"Bad move, Xiao Li."

Expertly, the cloaked invader pressed two fingers into Xiao Li's jugular, cutting off circulation to the brain long enough to reduce him to unconsciousness.

Now it was only four against three. By the time backup even arrived, the intruders had already made their way inside the severe prison.

–

"I think we should go back to the North Pole."

Sokka's announcement brought stirring around the dinner pit. His sister, Katara, stood faithfully behind him, serving everyone their rations for the evening.

The Fire Nation prince, Zuko, spared the Water Tribe boy only a glance before he returned his attention to his food, which he ravished gustily. Katara's late-night lessons wore him out. Sometimes he regretted making peace with her – he was better-rested when the Waterbender hated him. "Was that what you were talking about when I needed firewood last week?" he asked his empty bowl.

"Yeah," Sokka responded, then raised his eyebrow suspiciously. "You were eavesdropping!" he accused dangerously, waving his boomerang at the prince.

Zuko eyed Haru's bowl of rice poignantly, and the Earthbender tucked it out of view, shielding it behind his sleeve. "I wasn't eavesdropping. You were yelling. I overheard it."

Taking pity on the prince, Katara spooned out to him what was rest of dinner. A slight lifting of the corners of his mouth and a nod was all he gave in thanks. It was all she expected, really. "The walls here are really thin," she added to the Firebender's plight, speaking over her shoulder to her brother. "I doubt he was trying to listen in, Sokka."

"What makes you so sure?" he retorted.

"Why would he want to listen in on anything _you _have to say?"

Sighing, Sokka retracted his boomerang. "You walked straight into that one," Toph piped in with a devious smile. "Seriously. You were practically _begging _for her to–"

"Yeah, yeah," the Water Tribe boy scoffed, cutting her off. "I'll get back at you all, and one day you'll be bowing down to my royal awesomeness. Katara will be feeding me sun grapes out of the palm of her hand, and Toph will be fanning me with a giant palm leaf. Then we'll see who'll be _begging _for anything." He turned back to his maps, pointedly ignoring the disbelieving snickers behind his back.

"Hey, Sokka?" the Avatar, Aang, asked.

Distracted, Sokka mumbled, "What?"

"Does it hurt?"

"Does what hurt?"

"Having such a large head."

Sokka whipped around. "Come on, guys!" he cried. "I need some honest input here. Do I have to be the only one that's ever serious around here?"

"Actually – " Teo started.

"Don't even say it," Sokka said, palms up. "Back to the issue on hand. North Pole: yes or no?"

"Maybe you should tell them our reason for wanting to go first, Sokka," his sister suggested, taking a seat next to him.

"Right. Good idea." He swept away the hair on his forehead nervously, a pointless task considering that it was all pulled tightly behind his head in a wolf tail. "We need to face that this temple probably isn't the safest place for Aang right now. None of you can tell me that I'm the only one getting the feeling that we're being watched."

The group exchanged a few uneasy gazes.

"Exactly. The Earth Kingdom has fallen"– Zuko saw Sokka give him a dirty look out of the corner of his eye – "and we can't make any establishments there. Fire Nation guards are probably around ever corner."

"The Northern Water Tribe is the last safe sanctuary for Aang," Katara added. "It's stood up to the Fire Lord for over a hundred years, and Chief Arnook told us we could come back anytime we wanted."

"We could probably even plead Jerkbender's case and get him in," Sokka finished. "Quick poll. Do you vote yes or no?"

"What about Aang's earthbending lesson?" Toph exclaimed. "From what I've heard, and I've heard a lot, the North Pole is mainly _ice_." She whispered the last word, as if it pained her to say it.

The siblings looked at each other. "We've thought about that," Katara said thoughtfully, chewing her bottom lip. "The only thing we could think of is you could possibly practice in the Spirit Oasis. That's only if we can get permission, and it's not a very large chunk of land."

"We'll have to figure out the details later." Sokka smoothed out his map. "We weren't at the North Pole very long. They probably have some sort of stone you can use to practice, Toph. Any more questions?"

Haru raised his hand.

Sighing, the Water Tribe boy spat, "_Yes_?"

"Isn't the trip going to take a long time? We don't exactly have time to take a month long trip when Aang needs to come back to defeat Ozai anyways."

"We've thought of that," Sokka answered. His tone grew increasingly more annoyed with every sentence spoken. "If we cut straight through, without nearly as many detours as we took last time, then we should get there within a week, give or take a half of a day or two." Haru nodded, his impressive mustache blowing in the breeze a bit.

"Is that all?" Katara asked in a much more genteel voice than her brother. Her only answer was silence. "So, yes or no? Do you want to go or don't you?"

Haru, Teo, and The Duke all said, "Yes," with varying degrees of reluctance. Toph only nodded nervously. Aang was already preparing Appa for the long trip ahead. Soon, Zuko found all eyes locked on him.

Truth was, the prince was nervous about going. He wanted to scream "NO!" and stomp around like a little child, but that wouldn't do much to get everyone to like and trust him more. Getting a small group of former enemies to believe you was one thing, but an _entire nation? _Besides, he was outnumbered seven to one.

Taking a page from Toph's book, he nodded once, an affirmative.

Katara beamed. Sokka stood up with a satisfied smirk that meant he was going to be cocky the rest of the day and stretched. "Great! We leave in a few days, so everyone get packing!" A few groans and mumbles were uttered as everyone disappeared to their own rooms.

As Katara made to leave, Zuko stopped her. "It's bending practice, isn't it?"

She looked up at the sun. "Yeah, I guess it is. But Aang's not even here and we need to pack. Maybe later."

Scowling, Zuko gripped her wrist to keep her from moving any farther. "Maybe later we can _pack_, but now I want to practice." He pulled her out to the fountain, ignoring her cries.

"Let go of me!" He released her. "I'll practice with you, but I can walk just fine, thank you very much." She frowned, but her expression softened a bit when she saw the desperate plea written on his face. "What's wrong?" she asked as she pulled off her top shirt. The prince had gotten used to bending with Katara when she was only wearing her underclothes, and he wasn't nearly as uncomfortable with it as before.

"Nothing. What makes you think something's wrong?" Pulling off his shirt, he shot a small flash of lightning at her, which she blocked with a shield of ice.

"Oh, I don't know. Maybe the fact that you practically _dragged _me here?" She bent the water from the shield back into the fountain. "What's wrong, Zuko?" she repeated. "I know we're not the best of friends, but I've been around you long enough to see that something's not right." Walking behind him, she cupped her hands in his and fixed his stance. "You can trust me."

He twisted slightly to peer down at her. The Waterbender looked up at him, and he could see the sincerity in her large, ocean-like eyes. "I'm nervous about going to the North Pole," he finally whispered. "They're not going to accept me."

Stepping away from him, Katara climbed into the fountain. "You're probably right."

He swung around to face her. "What! You said I could trust you, and now you're using some sort of reverse psychology?"

Amused, Katara chirped, "No. Reverse psychology doesn't work as well on you as it does on Sokka. I was just saying that you're right, they probably won't be as accepting of you as we were – "

"You're not making things much easier."

She scrunched her eyebrows together. "So what you're saying is, you'd rather me lie to you and tell you it will be fine? You've made a mess of things, your _highness_, and you're the only one who can fix them."

Sighing loudly, he laid down on the stone ground, stretching his limbs to the four winds. "You're more motherlike with Aang."

She smiled slightly. "Yes, because that's what Aang needs. You don't need me to be motherlike to you, Zuko. You need straight-forward, blunt _honesty._ I think you've lived your life for too long in a lie, in some world your father concocted for you. True, I could've lied and said that Chief Arnook will welcome you with open arms and seal jerky, but it wouldn't have helped anything, now would it?"

He ran his hand down his face, peeved. It was how he usually acted when he realized something his uncle said was true.

_Speaking of which. . . . _

"What do you know about dream-reading?"

Startled by the sudden change in topic, Katara plopped down beside him. "What?"

"You know, dream-reading. Knowing what your mind is trying to tell you in your subconscious."

"That's more my gran-gran's area of expertise." She pursed her lips thoughtfully. "Too bad she isn't here right now. Why?"

Zuko had figured out long ago that arguing with Katara was pointless and futile, so he decided to just tell her the whole thing – how Iroh escaped from prison, the haunting dreams, and all the details in between.

Halfway through the story, Katara had stretched out languidly beside him. "Maybe we should go to Chishin. Find out what's going on there that your uncle so desperately needs you."

"It's out of the way. If we plan to make it to the North Pole, then we can't go to Chishin. It's the middle of the world, Katara," he said bitterly, rubbing his eyes with the bottoms of his palms.

It was quiet for a bit, the only sounds the splashing of the fountain and the birds circling them in the sky. "The thing is," Katara said after a bit, biting her lip, "I've had similar dreams. Only it was with my dad, instead of your uncle."

At this Zuko shot up, staring at the Waterbender with wide eyes. "How is that_ possible_?"

"I don't know!" she exclaimed. "That's why I think we should go to Chishin. Maybe we'll get answers there."

"Is it possible that your father's there?"

"No. During the Day of Black Sun, he and all the other adults in the Invasion Party were captured."

"You know, I always pegged him for being dead."

"He's fully alive. Well, actually, I'm not a hundred percent sure of that anymore."

For the second time, silence took over, only this time it was more from awkwardness: Zuko wasn't quite sure what to say to that. "Sorry for killing your mother and possibly your father, too"?

Katara sat up, pulling herself to her feet. "Come on. We need to pack, and I need to talk to Sokka."

–

Twenty-four hours later, Sokka had called another meeting around the dinner pit. "Okay. Just a little announcement." He cleared his throat, sending a nasty look at his sister. "Supposedly, now we're making a pit stop on our way to the North Pole."

"Where?" asked The Duke, who had a stomachache from the previous night and had draped himself over Katara's lap, refusing to leave her side.

"Chishin," the warrior answered dryly.

Teo was the first to recover. "But isn't that, I dunno, in the completely wrong direction?"

"It is indeed," he said wanly. Ignoring her brother's enraged glances, Katara stroked The Duke's head.

Last night, for her, had gone as expected: When she proposed they go to Chishin, it was met with a cocky "No" from Sokka.

"It's not the plan!"

"Not a _plan_, really. More of a . . . _revision_." Biting her bottom lip, she met his gaze straight-on, trying to look as hopeful and innocent as possible. "Puh-_lease _Sokka! You know I don't like to beg, but I'm begging you! It won't take long!"

Tired of her ridiculous, pouting look, Sokka let out a small sigh of air and sat on her bed. He leaned forward, his elbows resting on his thighs and his hands crossed over his knees. He rolled his neck forward and back, and Katara watched him anxiously, biting her nails. "Let me think about it," he finally responded. "All of this because of a stupid dream?"

She swung her arms around his neck. "Thankyouthankyouthankyouthankyou," she chanted like a temple priest. Trying to protect his straight face from the smile that was threatening to form, Sokka untangled himself from her hold.

"Yeah, yeah. Don't think I'm very happy about it, though."

It had taken Sokka the rest of the night to decide. During dinner, he sat off by himself, sulking against the wall. Finally, late at night after Katara and Zuko's bending lesson together, he had opened her door and walked in without even asking. "Okay," he muttered, pained. His warrior's wolf tail drooped slightly.

Katara, half-asleep, only smiled and mumbled a short thanks. The Duke had someone nestled himself underneath her covers, and he shifted a bit at the sound of her voice.

Upon waking up, the first thing she noticed was a note pinned to her door. "Meeting at breakfast," it read. She recognized her brother's illegible scrawl.

Which is how the group found themselves only half-heartedly listening to Sokka as he droned on for the second time in a period slightly shorter than a day.

"So anyway," Sokka continued, "since we're taking a detour, we'll probably have to leave sooner than I had first planned."

"How soon?" Aang piped in, wiping the rice from his chin. The Waterbender noticed for the first time the hardening of his chin, with the hints of the lines that would be there when the Avatar matured. It hurt her to think about, and she looked down at the drowsy child in her arms who returned her smile with one of his own.

"Tomorrow."

Gasps erupted from the group.

"That's hardly any time to pack!" Teo pointed out.

"Are we ready to leave just yet? Can Appa make it that far?" Haru asked.

Toph kicked her leg, jutting out her foot, to make a small bench, which Sokka settled on. "If we work hard today we should get everything done. And about the matter of Appa: We'll be walking for the first few weeks, until we get to the coast. Appa will be able to fly us to Chishin, with plenty of islands along the way to stop." Unrolling the map from his back pocket, he ran his index finger along the tiny trail of islands that led to Chishin.

"I like it," Toph interjected, sitting beside Sokka on their podium. "The longer we stay away from ice, the better. And I'm already all packed."

Katara felt a rush of gratitude for Toph. Differences aside, the Waterbender was glad the strong Earthbender was on their side. It was comforting to know that the Fire Nation didn't have the blind metal-bender as an ally.

Lost in her thoughts, she didn't notice everyone looking at her until she looked up from combing The Duke's hair. She cleared her throat and said in a practiced, leveled voice, "It's important that we go. We . . . _I _have a feeling that Chishin may hold some answers for us."

It wasn't much, but when spoken in a crisp, clear, and confidant voice, it made the group rethink. After much debating, Haru said, "If it's what you want, Katara. I'm with you."

Blushing slightly, she only nodded, thanking him with a smile.

"There are some nice ocean breezes near the equator," Teo thought aloud. "I might be able to pick up some speed and glide." He turned to the Avatar. "No offense, but for this being an _Air _Nomad temple, it doesn't get a lot of wind. I'm game with going to Chishin."

In his sleep, The Duke turned around, which everyone took as an affirmative.

Aang was the only one who hadn't spoken yet. Katara peered at him, at his steely, suspicious gaze. Their eyes met. An understanding came between them. "I'm in." He thumped his staff on the ground, sending small gusts of air up the tubes inside it. The wings unfurled, and soon he was flying away.

"Aang! Where the heck are you going?" Sokka yelled to him.

"To prove Teo wrong," the Airbender called back. "There is _too _wind around here!"

–

Zuko was scrunched between Sokka and Toph, the cool morning air ruffling his hair. He thought he was used to waking up before dawn, but when Sokka had shuffled into his room that morning, the sky still dark, it had been harder getting out of bed than he had first planned. _Maybe the lesson with Katara last night wasn't such a good idea_, he thought, rolling his sore shoulder. Aang sat atop the air bison's head, steering and chatting with his pet. The rest of the gang had fallen back asleep, except for the Firebender (_"I rise with the sun"_) and Sokka, who was reading his map and occasionally shouting directions to Aang. "It's fine that we're flying now," Sokka said conversationally after an hour of silence, "so, while everyone is sleeping we can still get somewhere. Around lunch, though, we should probably let Appa rest and start walking."

Eye closed and head leaning back, Zuko said dryly, "That's nice."

Fifteen more minutes passed until Sokka said something again. "Katara, get off me!" he mumbled, elbowing his sister softly. It didn't do much – she shifted in closer to him, her head nestled at his collarbone. Finally, he sighed and gave up, letting his sister hug him.

To Zuko, it was so strange for him to see the siblings get along so well. Azula and he would die before they _cuddled_. Yet, somehow, he felt a growing feeling in his gut, and his eyes refused to leave the Water Tribesmen. If he could've gotten along better with his sister when they were younger, would things have been different? Somehow, he doubted it.

He let his eyes rest on the Waterbender for a few minutes. He watched her inhale and exhale, shift and sigh in her sleep. Curled up next to her, The Duke had refused to leave her side since the night before. It made the prince wonder what happened to his parents.

Aang, who looked over his shoulder to see how everyone was doing, followed Zuko's gaze and frowned. "Flying in the morning is the best, isn't it?" Aang muttered, forcing a smile.

Startled, the Firebender's head snapped up. "I don't think I like flying much at all. I'm too used to traveling by boat."

"Toph didn't like it much at first. It grows on you."

Zuko took it that the conversation was adjourned when the Avatar faced forward again, leaving behind a thick coating of tension in the air.

–

The hours turned into days, and eventually those days turned into a week. Being a Waterbender, Katara thought she could never get sick of the ocean, but as her brother once _again_ elbowed her in his sleep, all she could think about was land. And rubbing Sokka's face in the dirt. . . .

Teo had taken to flying separately most of the time, cruising along beside them effortlessly. Without the weight of the extra passenger and his wheelchair, Appa was able to fly faster and for longer periods of time. Katara envied Teo. Cramped up in the saddle with the same seven people day after day got painful.

They were only able to stop every other day, when they had reached a new island. Using the money from Toph's scams, they stopped at various inns to relax for the night, only to wake up and clump together on Appa once again.

It was tedious.

She was sitting next to Aang, holding one of the reins, when they touched down on the last island to go before Chishin (according to Sokka, at least). Toph leapt from the beast, and in one graceful arch, landed on the ground.

"Earth! Sweet, beautiful, addictive, lovely, wonderful EARTH!" Rolling around, she was soon covered in a coat of mud.

Aang slid off and offered Katara a hand to help her down. Brushing it aside, she jumped down, landing beside the Avatar artfully.

"Where to now?" she asked her brother, trying to avoid Aang's hurt look.

"There's a town right over this hill," Zuko said. It was the first words she had heard out of him in three days. "We can probably find someplace to stay there."

Stretching, Sokka intoned, "Sounds good to me. I never thought I'd miss my sleeping bag so much!"

"Neither did I," Haru said. "And I've never slept in one."

Teo, who had been circling around above them, finally landed, rolling a few feet before he stopped. "It feels good to be flying again."

"Speak for yourself." Katara rolled her eyes.

After everyone had grabbed their bags from Appa's saddle, Aang tucked the air bison in a cave. "Stay there for tonight, buddy." He turned to the rest of the group. "Come on, guys. Let's find this town."

It turned out that Zuko was right; they walked for about fifteen minutes around a hill and came across a small, lively village. The denizens milled about the streets, and a child's laughter carried through the air and up towards them.

Sokka cupped his hand over his eyes, shielding out the sun. "I think I see the sign for the inn. Let's go check it out."

The group made its way down the hill side. Villagers were already eyeing them curiously, and Katara thought she heard someone say "Fire Nation," but she convinced herself it was just her paranoia speaking.

A large, beastly man stood up to greet them. "Young Avatar." He nodded his head toward Aang and bowed. "It is an honor to finally meet you. My name is Tero."

Through his surprise, Aang still found it in him to be polite. "It's nice to meet you, Tero." Aang mimicked Tero's bow respectfully. "My friends and I stopped to rest at your inn."

The man's eyes swept over the group. Katara stood towards the back, next to Zuko and Toph. She watched as Tero studied the prince to her right, and how he shook his head slightly to cover his scar with his hair. A twinge of sympathy nagged at her belly, but she quickly shook it away.

His scrutiny over, Tero turned around. "My family runs an inn. It's this way."

–

Zuko didn't like the way that Tero looked at him. The prince thought he saw a flash of something (recognition?) when their eyes met. In what he hoped was a subtle motion, he brushed his hair over the damaged part of his face. He ignored Katara staring at him out of her peripheral vision and followed the everyone else to the inn. His muscles ached from being constricted, and his body begged to be exercised.

Tero, leading the way with Aang by his side, pointed out landmarks. "The market is that way, next to the armory and library."

Sokka brightened. "Library?"

Chuckling, the old man said, "Yes. If you're kind enough, they might sell some of the tomes and scrolls to you. They're the kindest old ladies, but they're greedy. Offer them a lefty sum and they'll sell you their souls!"

Aang and Sokka laughed politely, exchanging glances.

"I'll be sure to bring a lot of money," Sokka assured Tero, and the old man's otherwise tense face relaxed into a smile.

"You're a good lad. Remind me of my boy, Shugo."

"Uh . . . thank you?" Sokka said with an upward inflection.

Next to Zuko, Katara snorted, her eyes bright with laughter. Smiling slightly, he caught her eye. The Waterbender beamed, and then they collapsed in silent chortles. Aang turned around to look at them, and Zuko noticed the familiar look on the Avatar's face – it was the same look he gave him in Ba Sing Se, when they were in the crystal catacombs.

After a short stroll – with Katara and Zuko laughing occasionally – they arrived at the inn.

Teo read the faded sign. "'The Red Chair'? Interesting name for an inn."

"I think it comes from an old Earth Kingdom tale," Haru said quietly, more to himself than anyone else.

Tero nodded. "Smart boy. It comes from a story almost as old as these regions."

Toph peered in his general direction. "I've never heard it, and I was born and raised in the Earth Kingdom."

"The story goes that a selfish and cruel emperor reigned over these parts," said a unknown voice behind them. The group spun around to see a teenage boy with reddish-brown hair talking. "When the emperor got to an old age, he asked his seer for a way to live forever. The seer tried telling him that immortality was impossible, but the stubborn emperor refused to listen. Eventually, the seer gave in and told him that he needed to go to the spirit world to find the answers he wanted. And the only way to reach the spirit world was by flying.

"So, the foolish emperor had all his servants and assistants gather all the explosives on all of Chishin and tie them to his throne, a grand red chair made out of the finest gold, silks, and jewels. On the summer solstice, when the lines between the spirit world and our world are hazy, the emperor sat on his grand red chair and had all his servants light the explosives. See, the plan was to create enough force to launch himself into space and into the spirit world."

"Did it work?" Katara asked quietly.

"Nah. He blew himself to smithereens. Having killed all his sons before him, the emperor had no heir. The wise seer, who knew that it wouldn't work and took advantage of the emperor's desperateness, took the throne. For years these islands in the center of our world lived in prosperity."

Bored, Sokka rolled his eyes. "Is there a morale to this lovely fable?"

"There's a morale to every fable," the boy retorted. "But not to every story, which is what the tale of the emperor is. You need to look for a morale. Personally, I think it's that the emperor was so set on achieving immortality that he forgot about his mortality."

"Anyways," Tero cut in, smiling broadly at the storyteller, "that's where the Red Chair gets its name from. The story of the emperor and his exploding red throne." He placed a hand on the boy's shoulder. "My son, Shugo."

Shugo grinned, revealing a set of even, pearly whites. "Welcome to our town." Plucking a flower from a nearby bush, he offered the lotus to Katara, who blushed prettily and took it. "Are you staying here for the night?" Zuko noticed he directed the question at the Waterbender and felt something hot and angry erupt in his chest faster than the emperor's throne.

Yawning, Sokka said, "Yeah, we are. And, speaking of which, can we get four or five rooms? We're pooped."

"Of course, of course! How silly of me to forget. Come, come." Tero ushered them through the doors.

Zuko, noticing that Katara hung behind with Shugo, followed very reluctantly.

–

Katara pressed her nose against the blossom and inhaled. "Thank you," she said to Shugo. "It's very pretty. Are lotuses common around here?"

He grinned. "Very. You can find a lotus just about everywhere on these islands. Are you from around here?"

"No. We're on our way to Chishin."

"For the Full Moon Festival?"

"The what? No, we're not. We're meeting up with some friends there." Silence fell between them, and Katara noticed the sun setting for the first time that evening. "That was an interesting story you told back there."

"It was one of my favorites, growing up." Together, they slowly made their way to the inn. "I never really knew why, but maybe it's because my inn was named after it."

Raising an eyebrow, Katara tilted her head to the side. "_Your _inn? I thought your dad said it was owned by your whole family."

Shugo copied her arched brow. "It'll be mine one day. Is there really a difference?"

Laughing softly, Katara bent her head over her lotus once again. "No, I guess not. I –"

But Sokka interrupted her. "Hey, Katara." He poked his head through the door. "We got you a room with Toph. Room four, okay?"

"Thanks, Sokka," she said pleasantly enough, but the slight tint in her eye told him to leave her alone _now_.

Knowing his sister and her looks better than anyone else, Sokka let out a low whistle. "Okay. Get to bed soon. We're almost to Chishin, and remember!"

Katara looked at Shugo, who was watching her very closely, and pointedly rolled her eyes to the sky. He hid a chuckle behind a cough. "Remember what?"

"If it turns out we're going there for no reason, I'll kill you." He waggled his fingers the tiniest bit. "'Night." He crept back through the door.

Snickering, Shugo said regretfully, "I don't want to get you in trouble with your boyfriend."

Blushing furiously, she responded, "Sokka? My boyfriend? Ew. No. He's my brother."

"Well, in that case." With a wicked smile and leaned in and kiss Katara's temple. "See you tomorrow, Katara." And then he was gone, having disappeared down an alleyway.

Shocked, Katara nodded to empty air. "Sleep tight." She hurried into the inn.

–

Zuko watched the whole scene out of his window, with mixed emotions of amusement and pure anger. He wasn't even entirely sure what he was so mad about – just that the feeling was coiled in his chest like an anaconda, ready to lash out at anyone.

Hearing her soft footsteps in the hall, he leapt from his window seat and jogged to the door, treading carefully as to not awake The Duke. He snuck out of the door and grabbed Katara's collar and pulled her back just as she was about to round a corner.

She started. "Zuko! Wha–?"

He pushed a calloused finger to her lips, silencing her. "Shh. No need to wake everyone up."

"What's all this about? Can it wait?" She yawned, her toes curling as her arms stretched to the ceiling.

"It's nighttime. Isn't that when we usually bend together?"

"Can we skip tonight?" Peering at him through half-lidded eyes, that was when the Firebender realized that they were pressed very close together. He could hear her heartbeat, and her milky scent wafted up to his nostrils.

He took a step back. "No! I need to perfect it before I can teach Aang, remember?"

At hearing the Avatar's name, Katara awoke slightly. "Fine. I think there's a pond around the back."

They tiptoed down the stairs. Night had fallen like a blanket, and the small village was asleep. "It's so nice here. Quaint. It reminds me of the South Pole, kind of," Katara remarked, breathing in the damp, clean air.

"Well, it reminds me nothing of the palace." Zuko tore off his upper shirt.

"Why are you so angry?" she demanded, splashing in the pond. She bended a stream of water up and whipped him in the back.

He spun around. "What makes you think I'm angry?" he asked, his voice suddenly even and oddly calm.

Katara didn't even bother with a response, and they spent the rest of the night sparring without exchanging a single word.

–

Morning, once again, came too early. Zuko was ready to give in to his body's plea for rest and close his eyes, when Sokka charged in. "Up, up, up! Storms are coming, and we need to beat the weather to Chishin!" The Duke was marching behind him, banging on a iron pot and occasionally blowing a fog horn.

Groaning, Zuko squinted open his good eye and glared.

Sokka held his palms up. "Hey, now, Jerkbender. Just get up without a fuss and I won't have to ask my sister to submerge you in the pond outside. Cool your fire-blasting hands."

Zuko ran his palm over his face and sat up. "Happy?" he asked venomously.

"Not really. I have a bug bite on my arm and it's killing me." Sokka scratched his forearm to demonstrate. Behind him, The Duke blew a sad tune out of the fog horn.

Smirking slightly, Zuko winked at the child and said, "Now get out so I can change."

The pair marched back out of the room.

The prince fished for the pair of pants least stained, sniffing an occasion item and quickly tossing it away. As if on cue, Katara appeared at his door.

"Any dirty laundry? Shugo said they have a tub for washing clothes. You've been doing so well lately in your bending, I figured I could help you out some."

"I'm not sure if you want to handle any of this."

Laughing, the Waterbender bent down and threw gathered Zuko's clothes into her basket. "I've been doing Sokka's laundry since I was ten. I've built up immunity to nasty smells. Here, I think this shirt is clean." She tossed a cotton rag at him.

After holding it to his nostrils and inhaling, Zuko deemed it clean enough to wear. He slipped it on, feeling Katara's hot gaze on him.

"What?"

She shook her head sadly. "You're never going to tell me what you were so angry about last night, are you?"

"Why do you care?"

"Because I'm your _master_. I'm _teaching _you. I never kept anything from Pakku, and Aang doesn't keep anything from me. Maybe I just expect you to tell me what's bothering you." Setting the clothes basket down, she sat next to him.

He sighed. (_Will I ever get any privacy around here?_) "It's the traveling. I'm anxious to get to Chishin. That's all. I promise."

She groaned. "Fine. Be that way!" Moodily she stormed out of the room, laundry basket attached to her hip.

Zuko merely watched her go with wide eyes, wondering what the heck just happened and thanking Agni most Fire Nation girls didn't have such severe mood swings.

–

The group converged in the dining room, where a light breakfast was served. Tero's wife was a short, plump woman with her dark hair pulled back in a tidy bun. Cooking was her main job at the inn, although she cleaned and sometimes attended to the gardens.

Katara blushed when Shugo asked her brother to move aside so he could take a seat. After Sokka grudgingly slid over, Shugo took his place right beside her and started talking lively to everyone around.

"You have to be careful when flying to Chishin," he warned with a mouthful of fish and rice. Having eaten mainly plain rice for meals at the temple, Katara was delighted to find out that they served fish at the inn. The meat tasted salty and flaky on her tongue, and she nearly hummed with pleasure.

"Why's that?" Sokka asked, no longer annoyed about having to switch seats with Shugo.

"Supposedly, there's a Fire Nation blockade," Tero responded for his son. The old man took a seat next at the head of the table and his wife spooned rice onto his plate. "They're trying to prevent anyone from heading in or heading out for some reason."

Sokka swung around to Zuko. "What's with you people and blockades?"

Zuko didn't bother honoring him with a response.

But Shugo did. "Blockades are usually very effective. You'll want to be careful, especially since you're traveling with the Avatar." Aang rolled his eyes.

"We've gotten past many blockades before," the young Avatar announced. "It shouldn't be too much of a problem."

"But thanks for the information," Katara hurriedly added. Aang and Zuko both treated Shugo with disdainful attitudes, and it embarrassed her slightly. "The last thing we need is an unexpected Fire Nation attack."

At that moment, Toph walked in with Haru. "Appa's all packed. We're ready to go, once you losers get done eating," Toph said.

Katara couldn't help but notice how well-slept the group seemed that morning. Haru and Toph were quick to help get Appa ready that morning, Teo had been soaring around the island an hour before anyone awoke, and The Duke hadn't even crawled into the Waterbender's bed that previous night, like he had been doing previously. Sokka was unusually optimistic, and the bags under Katara's eyes had faded remarkably. Only Aang and Zuko seemed to be in a dreary mood.

"Which isn't surprising," Sokka informed his sister when she confessed her concerns. "Aang's hitting puberty and all that good stuff, and Mr. Spoiled Prince is always sulking in a corner somewhere."

Katara found that an exaggeration on her brother's part. Mr. Spoiled Prince had opened up quite a bit. The difference from when he first joined the group to the present was remarkable. He was quite friendly with Haru and Teo. The Duke and Toph were respectful of him, Aang loved him as a teacher, and even Sokka conversed with him freely. Something wasn't right with the prince, and Katara found herself uncharacteristically worried about him.

Feeling a slight nudge in her side, she looked at Shugo, a question in her eyes. He just winked back playfully.

Zuko and Aang sprang from their seats. "Well, I'm already to go," Zuko snapped. "Once everyone's done, we can head out."

"Same here!" Aang continued. "I'll be out by Appa, anyone needs me."

Sokka stopped mid-chew, and looked at Toph and Katara for answers.

Sensing his gaze on her, Toph held up her hands. "Don't ask me. They've been acting weird all week."

–

Zuko found himself marching off, enraged. He wasn't even quite sure he knew what he was enraged _about, _just that a swirling pit of anger had erupted in his belly when he saw that _moron _look at Katara as if she was the answer to all of his prayers. The Avatar stormed beside him, clutching his staff so tightly his knuckles were white.

They found Teo outside by Appa, lounging in his wheelchair. He sat up when he noticed the two figures walking towards him. "Hey, guys. I've heard from some of the sailors at the port that the Fire Nation is waiting right outside of Chishin."

"Thanks," Aang managed, with a forced smile.

"We've heard," Zuko added gruffly.

Raising his eyebrows at their impoliteness, Teo rolled away slowly. "I have some bags to pack, anyways. You two can pout by yourselves."

Immediately, Zuko felt waves of quilt wash over him. He saw Aang tilt his head down, ashamed. Without even once speaking to each other, they silently wallowed in their shame until the rest of the group (plus Shugo and his father) slowly trickled out of the Red Chair.

Soon, they were once again crammed together in Appa's saddle. Zuko was pleased to see, as they made their final good-byes, that, as Shugo drew in to peck the Waterbender on the cheek, Sokka butted between them. Katara said a hasty thanks and scrambled up onto the air bison's back.

Later, he would wonder why it pleased him so much.

"Remember," Tero advised as Appa slowly started floating away, "watch your back!" He waved to them as they departed into the sunrise.

"Nice guy," Sokka commented softly, leaning back with his arms crossed behind his head. "Nice food." He grinned and tilted his head toward the sunlight. "Nice family. Although, next time Katara gets cozy with a guy, I'd rather not be within a five-mile radius."

Cheeks flushing with anger and embarrassment, Katara scowled at her brother.

Zuko, for once, agreed full-heartedly with the warrior. Haru, next to the prince, was studying their bill closely. "I think you saved us a few gold pieces off of our bill, though, Katara." He waved the slip of parchment in the air for emphasis, and the Waterbender quickly snatched it away.

The Duke reciprocated, and grabbed it from Katara. Before a "Give it back!" could escape from her mouth, The Duke tucked it away safely under his helmet. "Leave her alone," he said in a confident tone, his chin raised defiantly, as if asking _someone _to challenge him.

Smiling, Zuko almost reached over and patted the youngest member of the group on the back. "I agree. Let's talk about something else," he suggested, massaging the bridge of his nose.

Katara wrapped her skinny arms around The Duke and pulled him closer to her, so he was nestled against her collar bone. Sensing someone's gaze on him, Zuko shifted his gaze up to see Katara sending him a gratified smile.

And, for some reason, the sun seemed slightly brighter after that.

–

They first saw the Fire Nation ships five hours later.

Aang, who had been suspiciously silent the whole flight, pointed out to the horizon. "I see ships." Pulling the reins on Appa, the giant beast slowed his speed, allowing everyone a chance to look over his horns.

"Definitely Fire Nation," Zuko concluded only after a half-second glance. He fought to keep his exterior calm, but his hands perspired more and his heart threatened to beat right out through his chest.

Toph pursed her lips. "My brain's not working. Any ideas, anyone?"

"Their security's too tight," Sokka pointed out, gesturing at the too-close formations the ships made with his boomerang. "There won't be any holes we can sneak through. And I can see some of the air balloons out in the distance, so we can't just hop over them like we used to." He stroked his chin thoughtfully. "Man, I wish I had my beard now so I could ponder with it!"

Katara rolled her eyes. The Duke slipped off her lap and wiggled in between the gang to get a good look.

"We'll have to fight," Aang said quietly, a frown forming on his usually cheerful features. "If we can bring down just one ship, we should be able to create a diversion long enough to get by." He looked up questioningly, as if silently asking everyone else's opinion. Or perhaps pleading for another option.

"He's right," Katara announced regretfully. "We have to get rid of at least one ship if we want to get to Chishin in one piece. We need a hole in their blockade."

"Huh. Guess Tero wasn't kidding when he said to watch out for the Fire Nation," Sokka said, more to himself than anyone else. Squinting his eyes, Sokka studied the ships diligently, looking for holes in their formations. "There's a ship down there." Once again, he pointed with his boomerang. "It's slightly tilted when the rest of them are straight, see?"

Zuko couldn't help but notice that he was directing his voice at Katara.

"Yeah, yeah," Katara agreed. "I see it. Over there." She leaned over Appa's saddle to point, and Zuko unconsciously gripped the back of her dress so she wouldn't fall over.

"That's the closest thing to a hole we're going to get." Sokka wrapped his fingertips across his cheek, thinking. "We take that one out, and hopefully we can fly like heck to Chishin and make it there safely."

Releasing his hold on the Waterbender, Zuko nodded. "Good plan," he found himself admitting. Who knew that the idiot had some spark of genius in him?

A loud swooshing sound erupted somewhere behind them.

Turning their heads, the group saw a large flaming boulder flying at them at a rapid speed.

"Well, Aang and Teo," Sokka commented dryly, "there's your breeze."

Katara stood up, bending a wave of water from the ocean. Like a rope, it wrapped itself around the boulder as Katara swirled around. She released the rock and it soared over Appa's head, at the Fire Nation boats. It sank into the thick metal at the helm, and the group watched, in astonishment, as the soldiers were forced to abandon ship.

And, just like that, chaos was unleashed.

Twenty more flaming rocks were heading towards them. Sokka leapt towards Appa's reins. "Aang, Katara – get down there and do some ground damage NOW! Toph, Haru – make sure those boulders don't get anywhere near us." Forefully, he yanked a rein, swerving the air bison to the left and narrowly missing the missile.

Katara and Aang moved quickly. The Avatar's glider had unfurled his wings and he launched himself out, Katara soon following him by grabbing his ankles. Zuko watched them glide down to the water.

Personally, Zuko had no idea how their plan was going to work. A group of adolescents on a flying _carpet _didn't seem, to him, a realistic opponent. Squinting, he watched as the Waterbender quickly ran on the water in tightening circles, a whirlpool forming in her tracks. Four Fire Nation ships ran into the trap. Even more soldiers jumped into the water to avoid dying as the great metal tankers crumpled under their own pressure.

And just as quickly, Zuko found his mind starting to change.

"Hey, Prince!" Toph called. "Wanna give me a hand?"

Zuko spun around and averted his attention to keeping all the boulders away.

–

Katara's hands were becoming clammy, and her shirt stuck to her back because of the sweat pouring off of her. The Fire Nation soldiers had found a new weapon: flaming arrows. (_Why did everything have to be on _fire _with these guys?_) Harder to dodge and faster than the average flying rock, the Waterbender found herself focusing most of her attention on diving out of the way.

Aang, it seemed, was having a similar problem. It was hard to freeze boats and circulate whirlpool after whirlpool when they were too busy ducking out of the way of the arrows. Surfing across the top of the water on a board of ice, Katara had been able to construct a shield to block her left side, afraid that covering up any more of her view would make waterbending difficult. Already, a dozen feathered sticks were lodged in her shield. One arrowhead had even made its way through the thick ice enough to prick her.

"I can see Chishin in the distance!" Even distracted, Katara recognized her brother's voice. Lifting her wrist, Katara pulled a great wave out of the ocean and sent it crashing down on the nearest ship. Aang, on the opposite side, mimicked the motion, and soon the chimneys were underwater, still bellowing smoke.

"Just a few more! Keep it up!" Sokka's frantic cry caused the Waterbender to whip her head around, and she missed the missile launched at her. A great chip broke off of her ice shield, and she silently swore to herself.

Katara twisted around to tell her brother to knock it off when she felt a disturbing pang in her left side. The uncomfortable pain reminded her to rebuild her shield, and she froze more ice on top of it to make it stronger.

Aang was suddenly next to her. "Are you okay?"

A rush of affection towards her friend filled her stomach with a warm feeling as she nodded. "I'm fine! We're almost there, keep moving!" It was true. Only one more wall of ships, and they were free to fly to Chishin. A drop of water splashed down on her forehead as the heavens started to rain, and she was grateful for it.

The Avatar splashed off. A large ship was loaming towards Katara. Dozens of soldiers stood on the side, aiming arrows and issuing commands. With a great deal of effort, she formed a whipped and it tangled around the men using the rain, pulling them down, head first, into the waves. She noticed a morbid streak of red in her water whip, from the troops' blood.

Grimacing from pain, Katara was only able to take down one more boat before Aang and glided in from behind, lifting her into the air. "We're done!" the Avatar cried out joyously, a smile lighting his face for the first time in days.

She responded with a weak smile of her own as she noticed the warm wetness coming from her right side. Looking down, she saw the splotch of red quickly spreading across her clothes, and the arrow protruding out of her.

Like the force of the flaming boulders, she realized that the blood mixed in with her water whip wasn't Fire Nation blood. It was her own.

"Oh," she whispered. "That could be a problem."

–

Zuko was out of breath.

Inwardly, he gave the group he was now with a pat on the back. Fighting a blockade wasn't as easy as they made it seem. Except for Aang and Katara, who were making slowly gliding their way back to Appa, the gang was sprawled out across the air bison's saddle, inhaling and exhaling heavily. The Duke was waving his helmet in the air over himself, trying unsuccessfully to create a breeze. The back of Teo's wheelchair was parallel to the ground, and his legs stuck up in the air. A small but noticeable chunk of Haru's mustache was suspiciously gone, and Sokka was lounging against Appa's horns. Only the Toph sat straight up, picking something out of her teeth with the blade of Sokka's boomerang. All were slurping in the rain and letting it clean their bruised and battered bodies.

The prince wasn't quite sure exactly how long it took to take down the fleet. Seconds blended into minutes, during which no one stopped moving. Sokka steered the beast with professional reflexes, swerving out of the way of boulders at the last millisecond. Toph and Haru were able to bend all of the earth out of their way, with Teo, The Duke, and Zuko keeping watch.

And, although it was still hard for him to admit, the Firebender was impressed with the Avatar and the Waterbender's abilities down below. Seemingly effortlessly, they took out fifteen or so Fire Nation ships using waterbending alone, even with arrows whizzing past them.

"Good . . . work . . . guys," Sokka panted, and everyone responded with a tired smile of their own. Aang, with Katara hanging off of his ankles, was soon in view, and the group rose slightly to greet them.

Zuko knew, right away, that something wasn't right. He thought he saw a patch of what looked like red ink on Katara's side, but his mind didn't process it right away. Her hair, when soaked, was much longer, and it covered part of the red stain.

Springing up from his seat, Sokka was suddenly full alert. "Katara? Katara!" As Aang landed them, the Waterbender stumbled against her brother's form. Her usually tan skin was pale in the face, with a slight tint of green.

Adrenaline rushed into the gang as they all huddled in to see what was wrong.

"I'm . . . fine, guys," Katara said weakly, shooing them away with her hand. The extension of her arm caused her to cry out, and Sokka lowered her to the ground. Rain water mixed in with her blood, and puddles of maroon were pooling at their feet.

Sokka swept away her tangled locks to reveal the arrow lodged inside of her. He drew in a breath. "Katara?" he mumbled quietly. "Stay conscious for a bit. You can heal this." Talking soothingly, he distracted her while he yanked the arrow out.

"Don't do that!" Zuko hissed. "It would've stopped the blood flow!"

Toph rolled her eyes. "Calm down, Hotman. Sokka knows what he's doing. For once." The prince couldn't help but notice that the Earthbender's tone was more apprehensive than usual; all her confidence had drained, it seemed.

Everyone pulled back as Sokka gently ripped the clothes from her wound away. The rain was pouring harder than before, and the warrior positioned his sister's body so it would catch as much of the water as possible.

Stunned, Zuko watched as Katara's wound glowed a blinding blue hue, and as the light vanished layers of skin and muscle wove in and out, sewing her up like a mother would patch a quilt.

Zuko had _heard _about her healing abilities plenty of times, but it was another thing to see it in action. "Thanks," Katara mumbled against her brother's shoulder as her eyes lolled to the back of her head and she collapsed, unconscious.

A rare tear rolled down Toph's cheek. "See, Hotman? All better." The Earthbender crawled forward, reaching out to feel where Katara was.

Aang switched his attention in the opposite direction. "Well, there's good news. We've arrived at Chishin."

–

The town at the center of the world was, by far, the liveliest of the islands out of the ones they had encountered those few weeks. A crowded marketplace was right inside the front gate. Buildings and houses were stacked like wooden blocks – one on top of the other, crammed claustrophobically close. Clothing lines, with various articles of lingerie hung over them, were pulled tightly between alleyways and streets. Citizens bustled around, and bits and pieces of various conversations filled the air. Boutiques and merchants littered the sidewalks of the road winding up to a large, castle-like building sitting on top of a hill. A crowd was in the streets, so dense there was hardly any space to walk.

Zuko held Katara as they trekked through the streets. She was draped over his arms like a ragdoll. Her brother walked beside them, too close for the prince's personal comfort. Aang led their party, using his staff like a walking stick. As people noticed his arrow, the crowd parted, bowing respectfully. It was obvious from the start that they were amongst friends and allies.

The walk to the castle was quicker than it should have been, thanks to everyone moving out of their way. A guard confronted them at the front door. He held an arm out to prevent them from gaining further access. "For you to pass, you must have the pass_word._"

This stopped the gang, as they looked around, puzzled. Zuko felt for sure the answers to his and Katara's mysterious dreams were through those doors. They had come so far, only to be stopped because of a _word. _Infuriated, Zuko stepped forward. "We don't have _time _for this!" Gesticulating at the Waterbender in his arms, he exclaimed, "Our friend needs help!"

The hardened lines of the guard's face softened slightly. "Your highness," he said, and his calm demeanor as he said this shocked the prince. People usually weren't so forward to him. "The General said that his nephew was clever. "Said that you could do this in your sleep." With that, the guard winked and stepped back.

Mouth hanging open in astonishment, Zuko shoved Katara into her brother's arms. "What is that supposed to mean?" His voice dipped. "_Please_. Our friend needs your help."

The guard didn't bother with an answer. Instead, he stood impassively with his comrades, his eyes leveled with the sky.

"C'mon, guys," Teo inserted hesitantly. "We can go think this out, and maybe even find a healer for Katara." He twisted his wheels around and rolled down the hill, speeding back to the streets.

"He's right," Haru said. "Let's talk this out first." He turned to Zuko. "Maybe your uncle told you the password, and you just don't remember."

Shifting so Katara was in a better position, Sokka murmured, "I agree. If anything, all my sister needs is rest. A little sleep and she'll be good to go."

Yawning, Aang said, "I'm game." The Duke nodded along, his helmet sliding on his head. Toph mimicked him, her eyes red and puffy from her crying, and her ego too big to admit something was wrong.

They followed Teo down the hill, leaving a dejected Zuko behind. Something in the back corner of the prince's mind was telling him that there was something he was missing. Something important.

"Sleep sounds good," he said to myself, turning to follow. "Just a little . . . sleep."

His head shot up, his eyes wide.

"_Said that you could do this in your _sleep_."_

_How could I have been such an idiot_? he accused himself silently.

"Guard! Guard!" He pounded his fists against the heavy oak door. "I think I know the password."

The guard smirked. "Well? What is it then?" At the bottom of the hill, the group had assembled. They stared at the Firebender with open-mouth astonishment.

"Byakuren."

The guard smiled slightly, considering. Zuko held his breath, certain he had gotten it wrong.

Slowly, the guard opened the door. "Welcome in, your highness."

Down below, Toph whooped and jumped in the air. "Way to go, Hotman!"

They ran into the castle, whose interior was as spectacular as its exterior. Silk curtains and antique vases decorated the immaculate marble floors and walls. Gold and silver trimmed everything; doors, windows, and even tables had a slick coating of the shiny metal. Lush cushions and chairs sat out welcomingly. At the head of the parlor was a curving, sloping staircase, which easily took up half the room.

Aang aligned the cushions on the floor, and Sokka set Katara down on them. "Well, nice going, Jerkbender," the warrior complimented.

"Um, guys--," Toph started, but Sokka cut her off.

"Seriously, how'd you figure it out?"

"My nephew is clever," a stranger's voice boomed. The group spun around, shocked.

Zuko was stunned. "Uncle?"

"Um, guys? Someone's on the stairs," Toph finally concluded, smug.

"Welcome," Iroh announced, "to the headquarters of the White Lotus."


End file.
